Curt Cignetti didn’t just lead Indiana to a national title - he helped turn the Hoosiers into must-see TV.
More than 30 million viewers tuned in to watch Indiana cap off a perfect 16-0 season with a dominant win over Miami in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday night. That number isn’t just big - it’s historic. It marked the largest television audience for a college football game in over a decade, and a 36% jump from last year’s Ohio State-Notre Dame title matchup, which drew 22.1 million.
To put it in perspective: Indiana vs. Miami became the most-watched CFP title game since the inaugural championship in 2015, when Ohio State knocked off Oregon. It also earned the distinction of being the most-watched non-NFL sporting event since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, when the Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year drought in an all-time classic.
This year’s title game also marked the first under Nielsen’s updated Big Data + Panel methodology - a new approach that’s been boosting reported viewership across live sports and entertainment. Even when measured by Nielsen’s older system, the broadcast still saw a 27% increase year-over-year, according to ESPN.
But Indiana didn’t just show up for the finale - they owned the entire postseason in the ratings.
Their gritty 13-10 win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship on December 6 drew a record 18.3 million viewers, the highest ever for that game. Then came the Rose Bowl, where Indiana dismantled Alabama 38-3 in the quarterfinals - a game that pulled in 24.3 million viewers, the most for any CFP game in the last two years.
Even their semifinal blowout over Oregon - a 56-22 rout that lacked drama - still outdrew the Miami-Ole Miss thriller from the night before. Indiana-Oregon pulled in 18 million viewers; Miami-Ole Miss drew 15.8 million.
That’s the kind of gravitational pull Indiana had this postseason. Whether it was a defensive slugfest, a statement win, or a runaway, fans kept showing up.
It’s also worth noting that last year’s title game - the first under the expanded 12-team playoff format - saw a 12% dip in viewership compared to the Michigan-Washington championship the year before. That sparked some concern about the new calendar, which pushed the title game deeper into January. In 2025, that game also coincided with Inauguration Day, adding another layer of complexity.
Next season’s national championship is scheduled even later - set for January 25, 2027.
That game will also mark a new chapter for the CFP. The 2025 season was the final year of the original 12-year deal with ESPN. Starting next season, the national title game will move to ABC under a new six-year agreement.
But for now, Indiana stands atop the college football world - not just as champions, but as ratings kings. Under Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers didn’t just win games. They captured the attention of the entire nation.